101 Project Management Problems and How to Solve Them

28. How should I evaluate and make “make vs. buy” project decisions?

All projects face alternatives in how to approach the work. Some organizations have deeply embedded “not invented here” cultures and they tend to reinvent the wheel whenever possible. Other environments are prone to taking shortcuts, with a bias toward cobbling together solutions using off-the-shelf components even where it might compromise the deliverable. The best approach varies with the project, so a good decision process is needed. The main considerations should be cost, fitness, timing, organizational needs, and effect on the team.

Considering Costs

Cost analysis of the make vs. buy decision is often paramount in deciding which course to take. Although this might seem ...